His tragic death left friends and family with a lot of different feelings.

“There were quite a few [emotions]. There was shock. There was disbelief,” St. Thomas More School Principal Brian Borgmeyer said on Friday.

Friday was a good day, though, a day to remember and honor a boy who meant so much to so many people.

Luke’s friends, classmates and family members gathered at St. Thomas More School to celebrate his life.

The group released more than 700 balloons, a gesture the parents requested.

“That was a happy moment. I think it was good for a lot of kids in school, and I’m sure, right now, Luke is up in Heaven popping all those balloons and having a lot of fun,” Alex Bresette, Luke’s uncle, said on Friday.

“My relationship with Luke was just as Eli’s father and how appreciative I was that he was my son’s cousin,” Bresette said. “I couldn’t have picked a better cousin for my son.”